Harvesting reel

ABSTRACT

A plurality of identical spiders are removably secured to an elongated, lightweight, thin walled center tube having good resistance to bending. Each spider comprises a hub member having short arm stubs and elongated arm section secured to the stubs. The arm stubs and the arm sections are of channel form in cross section, and each includes radially disposed web and gusset portions providing resistance to bending angularly of the reel and flanges of substantial depth providing resistance to bending axially of the reel. Bat support shafts are secured to the outer ends of the arms and tine carrying bats are secured to these shafts. The radial inner space between the shafts and bats and the center tube is devoid of any truss structure which would interfere with the operation of the pick-up reel. The bats are driven by an eccentric mechanism which includes a plurality of bearings which ride on the outer periphery of a cylindrical track.

United States Patent Gradwohl et al.

[ 1 Nov. 21, 1972 [54] HARVESTING REEL [72] Inventors: Donald R.Gradwohl; Archie E.

Neal, both of Garfield, Wash.

[73] Assignee: J. E. Love Company, Garfield,

Wash.

22 Filed: Oct.l,1970

21] Appl.No.: 77,132

Primary ExaminerLouis G. Mancene Assistant ExaminerJ. A. OliffAtt0rneyGraybeal, Cole & Bernard [5 7] ABSTRACT A plurality of identicalspiders are removably secured to an elongated, lightweight, thin walledcenter tube having good resistance to bending. Each spider comprises ahub member having short arm stubs and elongated arm section secured tothe stubs. The arm stubs and the arm sections are of channel form incross section, and each includes radially disposed web and gussetportions providing resistance to bending angularly of the reel andflanges of substantial depth providing resistance to bending axially ofthe reel. Bat support shafts are secured to the outer ends of the armsand tine carrying bats are secured to these shafts. The radial innerspace between the shafts and bats and the center tube is devoid of anytruss structure which would interfere with the operation of the pick-upreel. The bats are driven by an eccentric mechanism which includes aplurality of bearings which ride on the outer periphery of a cylindricaltrack.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDNUVZI 1912 SHEET 1 OF 4 INVENTOR.

DON/4Z0 R GAADk/OHL ARCH/E E. NEAL SHEET 2 [IF 4 PATENTEDnovz: m2

INVENTORS,

p M mph/0 m GN/E/E F50 W fl m LM 7 WMW A SHEET 3 0F 4 INVENTORS, DON/110A. 6E4Dh/0HL E. NEAL ARCH/E ATTORNEYS PNENTEDnnm 1912 3.703.060

sum u or 4 INVENTORS, DONALD E GK'ADh/OHL ARCH/t E. IVE/IL HARVESTINGREEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The presentinvention relates to improvements in harvester pick-up reels, and inparticular to a simplified reel construction in which many of the bracemembers of conventional reels which during use interfere with harvestinghave been eliminated, and to an improved 1 which has been in common usefor a long time. This style of reel is characterized by a relativelysmall diameter center shaft, a plurality of spiders comprised of supportarms radiating from said shaft for supporting tine carrying bats, apolygonal pattern of cross brace members interconnected between theouter ends of the radial arms of each spider, and an internal trussstructure composed of a plurality of truss rods surrounding the centershaft and functioning to reinforce the shaft against bending. Althoughfunctionally adequate, pickup reels of this type are time consuming tomake, require considerable inventory of different parts which themanufacturer must keep on hand in order to furnish a selection of sizesof harvester reel, and the truss rods and other brace members requirefrequent adjustment and maintenance while in the field. Also, the trussrods and other brace members to some extent interfere with harvesting.

It is known to eliminate the truss rods by substituting a large diameterthin walled tube for the center shaft, which tube is capable ofwithstanding substantial bending, and to eliminate the cross bracesbetween the outer ends of the bat support arms by providing relativelystrong spider structures. An example of this type of reel is theProfiteer M'3 pick-up reel manufactured by the Universal HarvesterCompany of Stockton, Califor- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This inventionrelates to improvements in pick-up reels of the type which are free oftruss rods and cross braces. Pick-up reels according to this inventionare characterized by a composite spider which includes a preferably castaluminum hub member which is removably secured -to a large diameter,lightweight, thin walled center tube, and formed steel arm-sectionswhich are secured to arm stub portions of the hub member. The arm stubsand the arm sections together provide the spider with support arms ofchannel form in cross section which utilize a minimum amount of materialbut which possesses sufficient strength for resisting bending bothangularly and axially of the pickup reel. The invention also relates toan improved eccentric drive mechanism for the bats. The eccentric drivemechanism of the invention is simple in construction and ischaracterized by a circular pattern of support bearings which travel onthe outside of a cylindrical track.

A particularly advantageous feature of the pick-up reel construction ofthis invention is that it enables the manufacturer to provide a largenumber of reel sizes with a relatively small inventory of differingparts since most parts of the reel are common to all sizes and some ofthe remaining parts differ only in terms of length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing like letters andnumerals refer to like parts, and:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the 0 pick-up reel ofthis invention, looking toward one end and the front of the reel, suchreel being shown completely separated from the harvesting machine ofwhich it is a part;

FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of the pickup reel, with some partsbeing broken away and some being omitted for clarity of illustration ofother parts;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of one of the spider assemblies, withsome parts broken away, others omitted, and some parts shown exploded,for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 4 is an axial sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 5--5 ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but in the region of the eccentricmechanism at one end of the pickup reel, with some parts shown in sideelevation; and

FIG. 7 is a detailed view in the region of the drive crank regionbetween the radial arms of the eccentric mechanism and the radial batsupport arms of the reel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The pick-up reel 10 is shown tocomprise an elongated center tube 12 which replaces the small diametershaft and truss rods of conventional pick-up reels such as disclosed bythe aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,823,511 and 3,145,520. By way oftypical example, the center tube 12 may be a length of thin wall metaltubing about six inches in diameter. A plurality of triangular hubplates 14 are rigidly secured to the tube 12 at axially spaced apartlocations. Of course, the number of plates 14 and their spacing dependson the size of pick-up reel involved. A single piece cast (e.g.aluminum) hub member 16 is associated with each plate 14. As best shownby FIGS. 3 and 4, each hub member 16 includes a generally triangularshaped center opening 18 which is sized to be only slightly larger thanthe hub plate 14. The hub members 16 are assembled on the tube 12 bysliding them individually endwise relatively over the tube 12. Theopening 18 in a given hub member 16 is aligned with a given hub plate 14and is then moved relatively past the plate 14, with the plate 14 movingrelatively through the opening 18. When a hub member 16 is adjacent thehub plate 14 to which it is to be secured, it is rotated 60 to placeapertures formed in the comers of the hub plate 14 into alignment withrelated apertures formed in the hub member 16. The bolts of nut and boltfasteners 20 are inserted through the apertures and then the nuts areinstalled and tightened to make a firm connection. As shown by FIG. 4,when a hub member 16 is installed it is tight against its hub plate 14.

Each hub member 16 includes a plurality of short radial arm stubs 22which are channel shape in cross section (see FIG. 5). An arm section 24which is also of channel shape in cross section, is mated with and issecurely fastened to each arm stub 22. The stubs 22 and the sections 24together define radial support arms 22, 24, and the sections 24 and thehub members 16 together form spiders.

The number of support arms 22, 24 formed by the stubs 22 and thesections 24 may vary. The illustrated embodiment of pick-up reel isshown to have five support arms 22, 24, i.e., it is a five bat model.Another popular model comprises six bats with each spider having sixsupport arms.

The arms 22, 24 of each spider are in axial alignment with the arms 22,24 of the other spiders. Lightweight tubular steel bat shafts 26 extendlengthwise of the pick-up reel in parallelism with the tube 12 and aresecured to the outer ends of the support arms 22, 24. A sturdy hardwoodreel bat 28 is secured to each bat shaft 26 and each reel bat 28 carriesa plurality of axially spaced apart spring steel pick-up tines 30.

In preferred form the hub members 16 are of cast aluminum constructionand the arm sections 24 are made from formed sheet steel. As shown byFIG. 5, each arm stub 22 includes side gussets 32 which are in coplanarparallelism, a web 36 in spaced parallelism from the gussets 32, and apair of spaced apart, dihedrally related, side flanges 38 which arerigidly intcrconnected between opposite edge portions of the web 36 andthe inner edge portions of the gussets 32. The arm sections 24 are ofsimilar construction and each includes a web 40, flanges 42, and gussets44.

As best shown by FIG. 5, the lower end portions of the arm sections 24snugly fit within the arm stubs 22 and nut and bolt type fasteners 46firmly secure each mated pair of gussets 32, 44 together. Sectionalthickness is provided in the regions of the hub members 16 which areradially inwardly of the arms stubs 22 and which during use of thepick-up reel 10 must carry substantial forces. Cross flanges 47interconnect between the buses of flanges 38. These flanges 47 extendlaterally from a plate section 49 which is in co-planar parallelism withthe webs 36.

This provision of sectional depth axially of the pickup reel 10 throughthe arm stubs 22 and the arm sections 24 and through the central portionof the hub member 16 gives the pick-up reel axial strength andstability. During working of the pick-up reel, particularly on alaterally sloping section aground, the pick-up reel tends to bend. Therelatively large diameter yet thin walled and lightweight center tube12, and the axially deep hub and arm portions of the spiders,interconnected only by bat support rods, provide a structure whichadequately resists unwanted bending without the necessity of using trussrods. As earlier explained, truss rods interfere with the crop duringharvesting and also make the manufacturing of the pickup reel morecostly and involved.

Another advantageous feature of the pick-up reel of this invention isthat the arm section length and the tube length are the only parts whichmust differ from one size reel to another of a particular bat style. Forexample, five bat reels according to the invention may differ in lengthbetween 8 feet and feet. Within this range of sizes the only changeswhich must be made are in the length of the center tube 12, in thenumber and spacing of the spiders, in the length of the bats and theirsupport shafts, and in the length of the arm sections 24. All otherparts of the five bat reel are common to all sizes of reel. The same istrue with respect to a family of varying size six bat reels. Thischaracteristic of the pick-up reel materially reduces the inventory ofparts which the manufacture must have in order to build pick-up reels ofa large number of different sizes.

An end clamp assembly 48 is secured to the outer ends of each armsection 24. Each end clamp assembly comprises a bearing base 50 (FIG. 3)having a shank portion 52 snugly fittable in the channel formed betweenthe flanges 42 of the arm section 24. Base 50 also includes an outer endportion having an outwardly directed semi-cylindrical recess 54. A halfring section 56 carrying a complementary semi-cylindrical recess isrelatable with the base 50 to define an axially extending circularopening. Base 50 and member 56 may be made from nylon, for example. AU-shaped metal clamp member 58 fits over member 56 and includes pairedopenings 60 in its side portions which are alignable with passageways 62formed in the shank portion 52 of base 50. These passageways 62 are alsoalignable with paired openings 64 formed in the outer end portions ofthe arm sections 24. Bolt members 66 of a pair of nut and bolt fastenerassemblies extend through the openings and passageways 60, 62, 64 whenthe block 50, the member 56, and the clamp 58 are assembled on armsection 24.

An improved eccentric mechanism for driving the bats 28 will now bedescribed, particularly in reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 7.

It is the purpose of the eccentric mechanism 68, through a system ofparallelogram linkages constituted by its hub assembly 70, the radiatingarms 24' and 22, 24, and cranks 72, to maintain bats 28 and tines 30 inproper vertical position at all times in the rotative movement of reel10. To this end, hub assembly 70 rotates, about an axis eccentric ofreel shaft 12, on a coacting eccentric track roller assembly which willnow be described. Firstly, hub assembly 70 comprises a pair of sideplates 74, 76 which are held coaxially in a parallel, spaced apartrelationship, and between which a circular arranged series of trackfollower rollers 78 are journaled. As shown by FIGS. 2 and 6, rollers 78are located between the plate 74, 76 and they are relatively looselyreceived on annular bushings 80 which in turn are loosely fitted onspacer bolts 82. Bushings 80 have a slightly greater axial length thanthe rollers 78 (FIG. 6) and therefore act as spacers between the plate74, 76. The rollers 78 rotate freely about their journals constituted bythe bushings 80.

A main reel shaft 84 is rigidly attached to a plate 85 which in turn isrigidly attached to the end of center tube 12. This reel shaft 84extends endwise outwardly from tube 12 andis received in a suitablebearing 86 carried by a mounting socket 88. The mounting sockets 88, ofwhich there is one at each end of reel 10, are suitably connected to theharvester (not shown) with which reel 10 is associated. An annular trackmember 90 is located axially between plate 85 and bearing 86. Trackmember 90 loosely fits through center openings 92, 93 in plates 74, 76.A mounting plate or strap 94 extends diametrically across the outer endof annular track member 90 and at its respective ends is rigidly securedto the track member 90. Another mounting plate 96 extends verticallyupwardly from socket member 88 and contains an arcuate pattern of boltreceiving openings 98. A similar plurality of openings 100 are providedin the strap 94. Selective positioning of lock bolts 102 in alignedpairs of the openings 98, 100 permits track member 90 to be adjustablypositioned angularly in relation to reel shaft 84. This provides a wayof adjusting the eccentric device and bat control elements as a whole toregulate the angularity of the bats 28.

During reel operation, the center tube 12 rotates about its center axis.The rotary motion is transmitted by the end hub 16 and the radial arms24 carried thereby to the bearing assembly 54, 56. The links 72structurally connect the upper ends of the arms 24 with the upper endsof the arms 24. Thus, orbiting movement of the arm 24 results in anorbiting movement of the arms 24'. The arms 24' move about the axis ofhub assembly 70 which is offset from the axis of tube 12. The crank arms72 are rigidly secured to the ends of the bat shafts 26 (FIG. 2).Rotation of hub assemblies 70 and its arms 24 about the eccentric axiscauses the links 72, and thus in turn the bats 28, to maintain asubstantially constant attitude throughout all phases of reel rotation.This arrangement, which by itself is conventional in bat type reels,causes the bats 28 to assume a generally vertical attitude duringrotation.

The rollers 78 are in contact with the annular outer surface of trackmember 90 and they travel frictionously thereon as the hub assemblyrotates. The location of the rollers 78 on the hub assembly 70 permitsthe reel to float axially on the track member 90 and track member 90 isaxially elongated somewhat to accommodate this floating action.

What is claimed is:

1. [n a pick-up reel of a type including first arm means extendingradially outwardly at an end thereof and carrying a bearing at its outerend having an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the pick-up reel,with said bearing receiving and journaling a bat support rod; a pair ofaxially spaced apart bearings for receiving and rotatably supporting endportions of the pick-up reel for rotation about the axis of rotation ofthe reel; a relatively large diameter track member spaced axiallyoutwardly of an end of the pick-up reel, and fixed in position with itsaxis offset from but parallel to the axis of rotation of the pick-upreel, said track member having an outer peripheral track surface; arotatable hub surrounding said track member, said hub carrying acircular series of rollers which rest on the outer track surface of thetrack member; second arm means extending radially outwardly from saidhub and carrying bearing means at its outer end having an axis inparallelism with the axis of rotation of the pick-up reel; a pivot pinreceived in said bearing means; a short crank member mounted for pivotalmovement at one of its ends around said pivot pin and rigidly connectedat its other end to said bat support rod; and the improvementcomprising: v

said hub comprising a pair of axially spaced apart plates; said rollersbeing journaled for rotation about axle means which extend between saidplates; said outer peripheral track surface being a cylindrical surfacehaving an axial length that is longer than the axial spacing of saidplates; and said hub supporting the rollers between the ends of thetrack member for permitting said rollers to float axially a limitedamount along the cylindrical surface of the track member.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the first and second arm means bothhave substantial sectional depth in their extent axially of the pick-upreel, enabling such arms to resist bending axially of the pickup reel.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein each of said first and second armmeans comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart radialarms, each said arm being channel shape in cross section and comprisinga pair of relatively deep flanges extending generally axially of thepick-up reel, and an interconnecting radial web.

1. In a pick-up reel of a type including first arm means extendingradially outwardly at an end thereof and carrying a bearing at its outerend having an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the pick-up reel,with said bearing receiving and journaling a bat support rod; a pair ofaxially spaced apart bearings for receiving and rotatably supporting endportions of the pick-up reel for rotation about the axis of rotation ofthe reel; a relatively large diameter track member spaced axiallyoutwardly of an end of the pick-up reel, and fixed in position with itsaxis offset from but parallel to the axis of rotation of the pick-upreel, said track member having an outer peripheral track surface; arotatable hub surrounding said track member, said hub carrying acircular series of rollers which rest on the outer track surface of thetrack member; second arm means extending radially outwardly from saidhub and carrying bearing means at its outer end having an axis inparallelism with the axis of rotation of the pick-up reel; a pivot pinreceived in said bearing means; a short crank member mounted for pivotalmovement at one of its ends around said pivot pin and rigidly connectedat its other end to said bat support rod; and the improvementcomprising: said hub comprising a pair of axially spaced apart plates;said rollers being journaled for rotation about axle means which extendbetween said plates; said outer peripheral track surface being acylindrical surface having an axial length that is longer than the axialspacing of said plates; and said hub supporting the rollers between theends of the track member for permitting said rollers to float axially alimited amount along the cylindrical surface of the track member.
 1. Ina pick-up reel of a type including first arm means extending radiallyoutwardly at an end thereof and carrying a bearing at its outer endhaving an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the pick-up reel,with said bearing receiving and journaling a bat support rod; a pair ofaxially spaced apart bearings for receiving and rotatably supporting endportions of the pick-up reel for rotation about the axis of rotation ofthe reel; a relatively large diameter track member spaced axiallyoutwardly of an end of the pick-up reel, and fixed in position with itsaxis offset from but parallel to the axis of rotation of the pick-upreel, said track member having an outer peripheral track surface; arotatable hub surrounding said track member, said hub carrying acircular series of rollers which rest on the outer track surface of thetrack member; second arm means extending radially outwardly from saidhub and carrying bearing means at its outer end having an axis inparallelism with the axis of rotation of the pick-up reel; a pivot pinreceived in said bearing means; a short crank member mounted for pivotalmovement at one of its ends around said pivot pin and rigidly connectedat its other end to said bat support rod; and the improvementcomprising: said hub comprising a pair of axially spaced apart plates;said rollers being journaled for rotation about axle means which extendbetween said plates; said outer peripheral track surface being acylindrical surface having an axial length that is longer than the axialspacing of said plates; and said hub supporting the rollers between theends of the track member for permitting said rollers to float axially alimited amount along the cylindrical surface of the track member.
 2. Theinvention of claim 1, wherein the first and second arm means both havesubstantial sectional depth in their extent axially of the pick-up reel,enabling such arms to resist bending axially of the pick-up reel.